For many U.S. employers, the most important parts of the President’s immigration agenda were barely reported in the mainstream media and only merited a few words in the President’s speech to the nation.

R-1 visas are non-immigrant visas that permit religious workers (ministers and foreign nationals working in religious vocations or occupations) to be temporarily employed by a non-profit, tax-exempt religious organization.

This article provides an overview of the five preference categories of employment-based permanent residence petitions or “EB” immigrant visas, which allow foreign nationals to work and to live lawfully and permanently in the U.S. indefinitely.